Printing appliance



Jan, s, 1924. YV 1,480,300

J. P. QUIGGAN PRINTING APPLIANCE Filed May 26. 1923 111111 all W mvENToR. fg, j; .fa/'2MP @nigga/2z E l n n |1 ff LIIWII .W VMORNEYS Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN I. QUIGGAN, OF BROOKLYN,`NEW YORK.

PRINTING APPLIANCE.`

Application filed May 26, 1923. Serial No. 641,566.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN P. QUiGGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Printing Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in printing appliances, and is more especially directed to means or devices for clamping or locking printing plates on the supporting bed or block which is positioned on the printing press.

In Letters Patent No. 1,379,936, issued to me May 31, 1921, I have shown and described a clamping device which is adapted to be used in conjunction with a supporting bed or block having cylindrical openings therein to receive the body portion of the clamping device, whereby the clamping device may be located in engagement with the printing plate and the wall of the opening in the bed or supporting block to perform the work for which it is designed.

rIhe general object of thepresent invention is to provide a clamping device which is especially adapted for use in conjunction with printing plates, beds or supporting blocks of the type described in my aforesaid Letters Patent, or with any other type of bed or supporting block with which my device is susceptible of use.

More specically, it is the object of my invention to provide a clamping device which may be economically produced, the components thereof being so designed and cooperatively associated as to insure unusual durability and at the same time permit of rapid actuation of the movable elements so that the use of the device will expedite the mounting and clamping of the plates.

Another object of my invention is to provide a printing plate clamp having the aforesaid characteristics and advantages in which the elements for locking the device within the openings in the bed or supporting blocks are positively actuated so that a printing plate when locked or clamped to the bed or supporting blocks will be held immovable irrespective of the position which may be assumed by the bed or blocks.

@ther objects and advantages of the employment of my invention will present themselves as the description proceeds, and I would have it understood that I reserve unto myself all rights to the full range of equivalents, both in structure and uses to which I may be entitled under my invention in its broadest aspect. v

For the purpose of the present disclosure, I have elected to illustrate and describe a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which* Figure l is a plan view of an imperforate supporting bed having a plate thereon which is locked to the bed by the employment of clamping devices made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevationl of the shank or body portion of my clamping device and its cooperating elements disposed in their relative positions for assembly;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the shank or body portion showing the ears or extensions at the lower end thereof in engagement with the interior shoulder in the bed or supporting block opening; and

Fig, 5 is a longitudinal section of my device with the actuating tool shown in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawings in detail in which like characters of reference are employed to designate similar'parts throughout the several views, 7 indicates a printing plate which is positioned on a block or bed 8 provided with openings 9, the lower ends of which are enlarged to form an annular shoulder 10. In the present showing, the bed or supporting block is made up or composed of a plurality of complemental sections which are assembled and locked or held together within a frame 11. It will be obvious, however, that a sectional bed or supporting block is not essential to the employment of my improved clamping device as it may be used with equal effectiveness in any perforate type of bed or lblock which is adapted to cooperate therewith in the manner described.

The clamping device comprises a shank or body member 12 having a jaw 13 formed at its upper end which is provided with a beveled plate engaging face or surface 13a. The said shank or body portion 12 is preferably of an elongated design and substantially oval in cross-section, a groove or guideway 111 being formed in the sides and rear face thereof for the reception of the movable block-opening engaging element 15. This element 15 is preferably of the coniguthe latter may ration shown, and may be approximately described as substantially U-shaped, the arms or sides thereof curving outwardly from their ends so that the base portion, which engages the wall of the block opening as hereinafter described, is offset a considerable distance from the plane of the ends.

The aforesaid groove or guideway 14 is conformed to the shape of the element 15, the base of the latter being contained within that portion of the guideway 14 which is located in the rear face of the body member 12 when said element is in its normal or non-functioning position.

As will be observed, the groove or guideway 14 continues along each side of the body member or shank 12 to the end thereof in the form of a slot 16 which extends transversely of said body member or shank 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. At the end of the body member or shank 12 I provide lateral extensions 17 and 18 to form a shoulder, whereby the clamping device may be anchored within the bed opening in the manner hereinafter described.

To permit of the employment of a suitable tool for manipulating the actuating mechanism of my clamping device, I provide the body member or shank 12 thereof with a central bore terminating in` an enlarged portion 20 which/,is threaded for engagement with the upper-half 21 of the actuating screw. The manipulating element shown in dotted lines at 22, Figs. 2 and 5, may be of any of the usual types having a squared end which'is adapted to enter a complemental socket or recess in the head or upper end of the actuating screw 21, so that be-rotated in engagement with the threads of the bore 20.

The lower end of the actuating screw, as shown at 23 in Figs-3 and 5, is of a reduced diameter, and is provided with left-hand threads adapted to' mesh with the threaded bore ofthe feeding element 24. This feeding element comprises a base 25 and the legs 26. It will be apparentl that when the components of my clamping device are in assembled relation, so that the portion 23 of the actuating screw is in enga'gement with the threaded bore of the feeding element 24, the base of the latter, which is enlarged4 intermediate of the ends of the legs 26, will be disposed within the complemental portion of the transverse slot 16 of the body member or shank 12, the legs 26 of said feeding element riding within the outer portions of said slot and being substantially in alignment 15. From the construction described, it will be evident that by providing the upper portion 21 of the actuating screw with righthand threads the rotation of this screw'to the right by means of the tool 22 will cause it to travel toward the head of the body from the drawings l with the ends of the element As the said feeding element 24 travels up-E lwardly by the rotation of the lower end 23 of the actuating screw therethrough, the

ends of the legs 26 of said element will abutv against the ends of the element 15 and cause the latter to move within the guideway or groove 14. Therefore, when the clamping element is positioned within an opening 9 of the bed or supporting block 8, so that the lateral extensions 17 and 18 at the lower end of the body member or shank 12 will engagethe shoulder 10 at the base of the opening in the bed or block, the jaw face 13a being in contact with the edge of the plate .7, it

will be seen that the upwardr movement of the element 15, by reason of its shape and the configuration of the guideway 14, will produce a. wedging action as the base of said element 15 contacts with and presses against the inner wall of the opening in the bed or block. While the clamping device is held against longitudinal movementl relative to the opening 9 within the bed or supporting block 8 by the lateral extensions 17 and 18, it is free to move laterallyunder theeinfluence of the movement of the element 15, and it will be manifest that as the element 15 is forced outwardly from its guideway or slot 14 the counter-pressure of the jaw 13 against the edge of the plate 7 will proportionately increase until the limit of movement of the cooperating parts is reachedvand the plate 7 is firmly and immovably locked in position.

When it is desired to release the, plate, the feeding element 24 is caused to recede from engagement with the ends of the block* opening engaging element 15, by turning the actuating screw in a reverse direction. by means of the tool 22. The element 15 may be then moved into the groove or guideway 14 by applying pressure to the upper portion ofi the body member or shank 12, so as to move it in a direction from the plate 7. The plate 7 is thereby released, and, when it is removed from the supporting bed or disengaged from the shoulder 10 and with-k drawn from the opening in the bed.

lVhile l have described my invention with reference to the particular structure shown herein, it is obvious that the cooperating parts may take other forms without departing from the spirit and sco-pe of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A clamping device for printing plates comprising a shank having a plate-engaging jaw formed at one end thereof, a shoulder on the other end of said shank adapted to engage a part of the plate support, an element mounted for movement on said shank, adjacent to the j aw-end thereof, and

` positively actuated means contained within said shank for controlling the movement of said element.

2. A clamping device for printing pl-ates comprising a shank having a plate-engaging jaw, Xed means carried by said shank adapted for engagementrwith a portion of the plate support, means movably mounted on said shank for engagement with another portion of the plate support, and meansv a movable element supported exteriorly of said shank, and means contained within said shank to control the movement of said element into engagement with a contiguous -part of the wall of said? openingto' create a lateral ferce in the direction of the plateengaging jaw.

4. A clamping device for printing plates adapted for use in conjunction with a platebed having openings formed therein, said device including a shank formed for location in an opening in said bed, said shank having a plate-engaging jaw at one end thereof, a shoulder formed at the other end of said shank for engagement with a part of the wall of the bed1V opening, adjacent to its lower e-nd, -a screw located within said shank, an element formed for engagement with a portion of the wall of the bed opening adjacent to its upper end movably mountedon said shank, and means carried by said screw and actuatable therebyto move said element into engagement with the wall of the bed opening.

5. Asa new article of manufacture, a clamping device for printing plates embodying a shank having a plate-engaging jaw and means for locking said device in engagement with a printing plate and itssupport, said means including a fixed plate support engaging element on said shank, a movable plate supp-ort engaging element carried by said shank, and means supported within said shank for actuating said movable element.

6. A device for clamping printing plates, to supports having openings therein, comprising a shank formed for location within an opening in said bed, and having fixed `means for engagement with a part of the wall of 'said opening, a printing plate-engaging jaw formed integrally with said shank, an element for engaging another part 0f the wall of the bed opening mounted on said shank for 'movement relatively thereto, a screw in threaded engagement with said shank, and means traveling onlsaid screw adapted to engage and actuate said movable element.

7. A clamping device for printing plates adapted ,to be used in conjunction with plate supports having ppenings formed therein, said device comprising'v ashank formed for location within an opening in the plate support and provided with fixed means for en-` gagement with a part of the wall of said opening, a plate-engaging jaw formed integrally with said shankat o`ne end thereof, the other end of said ,chank having a transverse slot provided therein, a threaded bore in said shank communicating with said slot, a screw having rightand left hand threaded portions traveling within said bore and slot,

a substantially U-shaped guidewaj located inthe 'outerwall of said shank and connecting ,with said slot, said guideway curving outwardly from the median line of said shanktoward the head thereof, an element complemental to said guideway mounted for movement. therein, and a feeding device supported from the lower part of said screw adapted to travel within said slot and formed with extensions to engage said element to move the same'within said guideway uponthe actuation of said screw.

/ JOHN P. QUIGGAN. 

